This dominance can be found in the center of the Final Empire, and holds the city of Luthadel, capital of the Final Empire. It was the most politically significant dominance in all the Final Empire. Although it was the smallest dominance in terms of land area, it was more populous then any other as well. The Great Houses all maintained noble keeps here to keep their fingers on the pulse of the empire. Noble balls and other sources of intrigue kept the nobles entertained. This was the economic center of the Final Empire and fortunes were regularly won and lost through business dealings and backstabbing.

The Lord Ruler's influence was pervasive here. The obligators and Inquisitors of the Steel Ministry were never far away.
They kept the nobles in line, witnessing contracts, both large and small. Luthadel, inside the Central Dominance, had a large underworld element which survives through theft and trickery. Large and violent mass executions served to remind both skaa and nobles alike that the Lord Ruler reigned supreme.

The Central Dominance had the most mild weather in the Final Empire, with little snow or ashfall. It was good for grazing land as well. The land under Luthadel was rich with metal, most notably tin and brass. Another interesting trait of the Central Dominance was the massive complexes of caves located within its borders. The River Channerel ran through Luthadel and the Central Dominance on its way to the Southern Sea. The Central Dominance contained two major bodies of water, Lake Luthadel to the north and Lake Tyrian to the west, so named for the ashmount Tyrian that it was adjacent to.

The most important resource that the Central Dominance produced was atium, from the Pits of Hathsin. Atium made up the most important currency in the Final Empire, useful for paying for kandra contracts, as well as payment for many noble deals. The Central Dominance also was known for its metalworking, refining ore into usable metals. Since it contained Luthadel, the Central Dominance's most important economic function was to serve as a place where business was done, contracts signed, and bargains struck. This also allowed the Lord Ruler to have a tight grip on the economy of the Final Empire. Since Luthadel was his home he could keep an eye on the scheming nobility.

Places of interest included the caves known as the Pits of Hathsin, as well as Ruin's Perpendicularity located within. The nearby Kandra Homeland was also located in caves and the other major cave complex, the Arguois caverns, were home to the skaa rebellion. The Lord Ruler's palace, Kredik Shaw was located in the Central Dominance. In tunnels beneath it were both the first storage cache and the Well of Ascension, Preservation's Perpendicularity.

This dominance was home to the Ventures, the most powerful Great House in the time of the skaa rebellion. Being one of the inner dominances, it was subject to high scrutiny by the obligators and the Lord Ruler, alert for any signs of rebellion among the skaa.

The Northern Dominance is a wild rugged place, filled with untamed valleys and forests. One of the most important resources of this dominance are the high basins of water that are sheltered from the polluting ash. These basins lead to a plethora of natural waterways that flow through the dominance. One of these waterways is the River Channerel which runs along the Northern Dominance's southern border. The mines from this dominance also produce extremely valuable metals. The Northern Dominance contains only one ashmount, Kalling, which is located to the north of Urteau. Due to the mountains in the northwest, the Northern Dominance was one of the few places in the empire that contained wild sheep.

The streams in the Northern Dominance allow it to grow more crops then most regions in the Final Empire. In addition to these crops the dominance also produces many valuable metals sold throughout the world. These factors combine to make the Northern Dominance the second most rich dominance in the Final Empire. Its regional capital, Urteau, also had canals for streets which allowed for the easy transportation of goods. However when the canals were drained, Urteau became backwater and its trade influence diminished.

The regional capital of Urteau was a major economic center for the dominance. This city was important enough to hold one of the Lord Ruler's storage caches under the building of the Canton of Resource.

The crescent dominance is the far-most eastern dominance in the Final Empire. No character in the series is from this place, nor have any of the characters traveled there. As such, very little is known about it.

The land is a desolate, sandy expanse. It is inhabited only by bandit and nomad tribes made of fugitive skaa, who survive by raiding the Eastern Dominance. Now that some bandit kings are declaring their own nations, koloss hordes are being dispatched to eliminate them.

The Remote Dominance was located in the the most wild and untamed of all the Dominances. It was located to the southwest of the Eastern Dominance, below the Southern Islands. The Remote Dominance was home to many beasts, such as uncontrolled hordes of koloss that were charged with hunting the carnivorous mistwraiths native to the area.

While this area does have a noble and military presence it is extremely limited. Most people lived within heavily garrisoned walls, with little influence beyond the small cities and outposts. Some people did manage to survive outside the walls in the wilderness, but they tended to be escapees and adventurers who did not survive long if they were not skilled in combat and survival.